два / тры / чатыры + Nominative Plural

Two to Four with the Nominative Plural

Level 2Sounds Like dva try čatyry + nazoŭny množnaga

Два / дзве, тры, чатыры + plural noun: два сталы, дзве кнігі, тры сябры, чатыры гады.

How It Works

After два, тры and чатыры the noun is in the nominative plural, the same form as a plain plural (noun plural): сталы (tables) → два сталы, кнігі (books) → тры кнігі. Russian uses the genitive singular here (два стола), so speakers of Russian should take care.

Два or дзве?

  • два with masculine and neuter nouns: два браты (two brothers), два гады (two years)
  • дзве with feminine nouns: дзве кнігі (two books), дзве сяброўкі (two female friends)
  • тры and чатыры have one form for every gender: тры браты, тры кнігі.

Longer numbers. A number whose last word is два, тры or чатыры follows the same rule: дваццаць два сталы, трыццаць тры гады, сорак дзве хвіліны. But 12, 13 and 14 (дванаццаць, трынаццаць, чатырнаццаць) are single words, so they take the genitive plural like пяць: дванаццаць гадоў.

A few nouns use a special form. Some everyday nouns keep the stress of their singular after these numbers, so the form can differ from the plain plural:

  • feminine nouns stressed on the ending: сястра́ → дзве сястры́ (plain plural сёстры), рака́ → тры ракі́ (plain plural рэ́кі), рука́ → дзве рукі́ (plain plural ру́кі)
  • some neuter nouns: акно́ → два акны́ (plain plural во́кны); because the stress stays on the ending, akanye changes о to а
  • чалавек (person) → два чалавекі, while the plain plural is людзі

Dictionaries mark these forms as used with 2, 3, 4. Learn them as you meet them.

Adjectives between the number and the noun are usually in the nominative plural too: два новыя сталы. See adjectives after two to four. For groups of people and children, Belarusian often uses collective numerals instead: двое дзяцей (two children).

Examples (6)

  1. На кухні два сталы.

    There are two tables in the kitchen.

    Word by Word: In kitchen two tables.

    стол is masculine: два + the plural сталы.

  2. Я прачытаў тры кнігі.

    I read three books.

    Word by Word: I read-through three books.

    тры works with every gender; кнігі is the plural.

  3. У мяне дзве сястры.

    I have two sisters.

    Word by Word: At me two sisters.

    Feminine noun, so дзве. After 2–4 you say сястры, not the plain plural сёстры.

  4. Ён жыве ў Мінску ўжо чатыры гады.

    He has been living in Minsk for four years.

    Word by Word: He lives in Minsk already four years.

    гады is the plural of год.

  5. У пакоі два акны.

    The room has two windows.

    Word by Word: In room two windows.

    After 2–4 акно becomes акны, not the plain plural вокны.

  6. У класе дваццаць тры вучні.

    There are twenty-three pupils in the class.

    Word by Word: In class twenty three pupils.

    The number ends in тры, so the noun is plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Russian genitive singular after два, тры, чатыры.

    На кухні два стала.
    На кухні два сталы.

    Belarusian uses the plural here, not the genitive singular as Russian does.

  • Using два with a feminine noun.

    Я купіў два кнігі.
    Я купіў дзве кнігі.

    Кніга is feminine, so the number is дзве.

  • Using the genitive plural after a number that ends in два, тры or чатыры.

    Мне дваццаць два гадоў.
    Мне дваццаць два гады.

    Only the last word of the number counts. It is два, so the noun is in the plural: гады.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

два / тры / чатыры + Nominative PluralLevel 2Two to Four with the Nominative Plural

Learn This First

Two to four need адзін and the plural.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

дватрычатырыдваццаць два